FAPY AT DJANGOFEST NORTHWEST 2013!

Archtop Eddy

HI Paul (and others seeking DjangoFest info): Generally, the sooner the better for locking in rooms for DjangoFest. The event is held at Langley Washington which is on an island about an hour and ferry-crossing north of Seattle. Langley is loaded with bed and breakfast places and a few hotels, however, during Djangofest most of the rooms are booked up -- usually in advance.

Here's the thing though. Around June or July, people begin to get "real" about whether they are going to be able to attend the DjangoFest in September. That's when reservation begin to drop and openings begin to appear. If you stay on top of a room search you can often get a room then if you haven't found one earlier.

I'd recommend that you start checking for rooms in the Spring (or earlier if you wish). Some nice places to start might be Saratoga Inn and the Langley Country Cottage. If they don't have rooms ask them if they can make suggestions and then keep checking back to all the numbers you collect.

If I hear about available rooms, I can post them here and it's first-come, first-served at that point. Many of the places are bed and breakfasts so they can cost $100-plus a night (including breakfast). Many places require a 4-5 day stay during DjangoFest week.

There are shuttle rides from the airport at Seattle but many people rent/share cars. By asking around here on the forum you might be able to tag up with people and save some money.

It ain't cheap to go the DjangoFest, but it is a very beautiful experience. More and more people are bringing their families and making it into an annual vacation. With Fapy scheduled to be there this year, it will be all that much more special!

The Djangofest website isn't updated yet, but when it is you'll be able to find more info there (artists, shows, workshops, etc.). It's at: http://www.djangofest.com You can also get on the DjangoFest mailing list from the website.

And while you're on line, Google places to stay at "Langley, Washington", "Whidbey Island" and that ought to get you going.

As we start getting closer to the dates, you'll start seeing more info here at the forum. AE

Passacaglia

Wow, fantastic info, thanks, Eddy. I hope to make it out, priority is my new guitar and DIJ again (with Samois tugging at all my family's strings), but I'm itching to get out to DFNW, everything I've seen and heard is that it's beautiful, and an incredible experience. Thanks for a great post, will chew on it a bit.

Paul

cbwim

Hopefully this will really happen. Unfortunately DjangoFest has gotten a reputation for booking such big name acts, and then changing things to someone else at the last minute. I know that visas etc. are a hassle and sometimes beyond anyone's control. But I haven't seen this happening too much with other international concert venues, compared to DjangoFest.

Archtop Eddy

Hi fellas. I thought I’d take a moment to tell you why I'm feeling fairly good about Fapy coming to the US. I’ve been conversing with Fapy the last couple of weeks via Skype and email. I'm working on an article for Robin Nolan’s Gypsy Secrets iPad app regarding Fapy’s recordings with his uncle Bamboula Ferret. There were a few questions I had concerning the project and Fapy was kind enough to agree to correspond with me regarding this article.

In the process, I also asked him a few questions directly related to DjangoFest 2013.

So...What Would Fapy Do?

He told me that he plans to attend DjangoFest. He said, precluding any unforeseen health issues, he plans to be there. He also told me via an email that this trip will be his first visit to the USA.

I also asked him about his concern about flying. He said it came about due to two bad back-to-back flights he had several years ago. However, he also noted he is ready to make the flight to DjangoFest.

So there you go -- that's what Fapy would do! AE

Phil

Hey Eddy - can you use whatever influence you have to encourage Nick to have Fapy play in the WICA Theater and not in the school? Or at least have him play a couple of shows with one being at WICA? I'd gladly pay extra to see Fapy at the more intimate WICA venue.
cheers & Merry, Merry!
Phil

Archtop Eddy

Hi Phil. It would be great to see Fapy in a small, intimate venue like WICA and I can propose the idea. However, this being the first time Fapy will have ever played in the USA and the fact that there are many waiting to see him -- I think it best to be ready to buy good seat tickets regardless of the venue, and early at that. Nontheless, with this said, it wouldn't surprise me if Fapy has workshops at WICA and some of these workshops may be more general public educational workshops rather than player workshops and good opportunities to see and hear Fapy close and personal. Of course, I'm merely speculating here, but past educational-oriented workshops scheduled by Stochelo, Lollo, Tcha and the Boyers makes me think it's feasible. AE

Tele295

If Fapy can brave the flight, then I don't have many excuses for not attending. :roll: It's on the calendar

cbwim

So have there been any Fapy sightings in Langley?

He plays tonight, and again in the DjangoJam tomorrow night, and gives his workshop at noon tomorrow. Am thinking of strolling over there tomorrow as tickets for both are still available, according to the box office.

Casey

cbwim

Apparently he's been sighted. Am heading to his workshop tomorrow and will see him at tomorrow night's concert. Oh boy!!!!!

Phil

...and arrive he did! Fapy, Tcha & Dave arrived nice and early on Wednesday night, which gave them plenty of time to acclimatize; and by Saturday afternoon Fapy was looking really relaxed, sipping his coffee down the coffee shop in the lazy noon-day sun whilst chatting to folk. The Saturday night show was just Fapy & his band, with one intermission. Fapy played a show of pure melodic beauty & maturity, his set included a stunning heart-felt rendition of "I'll Be Seeing You." Their set also included a Fapy original walz written for his grandson, a lovely Astor Piazzolla tune "Bolivian"(?), "Vette", "Japanese Sandman", "Carnation", "Plachterida" and they ended with a beautiful encore "Melodie Au Crepuscule", which began as a duo with Fapy & Tcha.
A truly wonderful performance!
Stay tuned for some photos & more!
cheers
Phil